Buy from Amazon: Broken Things to Mend
Broken Things to Mend is part of a series, but is a Stand-Alone novel.
Celia has had a very hard life. Her mother died of an overdose; she’s been through the foster care, and is now a victim of rape. Trying to hold onto her good memories, Celia opens a map and narrows down the possibilities of finding a new place to settle down, to get away from it all and start fresh. Oregon is calling her name, with her suitcase and a backpack with her meager belongings she gets on the bus and drives west. Not knowing that a little feisty matchmaker has a man waiting for her in Sisters, Oregon.
Pearl, the matchmaker, is determined not to give up. She doesn’t care how many times she makes Silas drive her out of his way. She knows Celia is coming on the bus and she knows Silas and Celia are meant for each other. They just need to be given a push in the right direction, but first they need to meet first. Silas is quiet and rarely talks, embarrassed with his stuttering and Celia has a past to hide, and is not ready to trust the people of Sisters. But with time, patience, and understanding the most precious of things that are broken can be mended.
I enjoyed this book immensely, it was clean and showed how quick people are to judge but are willing to learn how to put aside their prejudices to accept those around them. Celia is a very strong individual that has made a good life for herself, even with the horrible hand she’s been dealt in life. Silas learns to love Celia, no matter what her past was. The story was very easy to read and just flowed smoothly. I was able to read it in one afternoon, not wanting to put it down.
*I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
If you know me, you know that I’m a sucker for a good Pride and Prejudice story. Anything with a Mr. Darcy involved makes me swoon. I’ve read many stories centered on the brooding man, so when I had the opportunity to read a book that made a female version of Mr. Darcy I knew I had to read it.
Elliott Bennett, a high school student ready to take on his senior year is gliding through life. He’s a normal teenage boy who enjoys reading, skateboarding, working, and attending parties with his friends. During lunch, this geeky boy discusses ways to avoid zombies, which superhero is his favorite, and he constantly tries to steer clear of any adults asking him what he plans to do when he graduates.
The last thing on Elliot’s list is finding a girl and falling in love. However, a new family has moved into the huge manor across the field from him and the two beautiful girls they bring with them. One who happens to wear an eternal scowl, and could trip the angels by the way her nose is constantly turned up at those that are beneath her. If Darcy is such a stuck up snot, why can’t Elliot get her out of his mind? Why is he so taken by her?
Following all the characters you love and hate in the classic tale complete with a whirlwind romance of Jake and Bridget that ends in heartache because of preconceived prejudices, That Girl, Darcy is well crafted and entertaining. I enjoyed James Ramos’ writing and felt that it read smoothly and felt that the characters and the plot were strong and kept my attention and I couldn’t put it down once I started.
*I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Vienna Avery is intent on exposing the government’s true motive behind the creation of robots and their sudden release of their creation into the public. However, there is one thing that is stopping her, she has no idea what the motives are. She just knows they are up to no good, but it’s hard to convince the public on a hunch. To make matters worse, her own mother has bought one. Vienna’s family is now proud owners of a French cooking robot. When Vienna doesn’t think things could get any worse after taking a swing at the metal contraption, she’s taken aside by a strange man with brilliant green eyes and warned her life is in danger. Life gets even crazier when Vienna discovers that robots have emotions and are practically human in every way, even capable of feeling and showing love. It’s a secret that is worth killing over, and Vienna finds herself on the run with a very strange group of individuals that call themselves a family, but the metal inside of them says differently.
I was really excited to read this book when the cover caught my eye and then I read the summary I was even more thrilled. However, I felt like I was getting bits and pieces of the story. Some parts of the story were described in detail, where other bits were just thrown at me in jagged pictures. I really liked the story line, but when I finished the last page, I felt lost and actually had the thought, “What just happened?” I really don’t think it was a smooth reading, which I’m really disappointed because I had high expectations and hopes for this one. I’m hoping it’s just this book, because I would like to give the author another shot.
*I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
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Boston’s Quest is a continuation of DiSemblance, and in my opinion it must be read in order to fully understand all the characters, the machines being built and used, and the overall story line. Boston is still struggling to figure out what she wants to do with her life, she knows she must keep her mother happy and follow her wishes in order to keep her sober. However, Boston struggles with holding onto the “popular” image in order to please her mom, and being who she really is: a photographer, archer, and girlfriend to a gaming boy, stuck in the middle of a murder trial.
Jason is trying to survive day to day, with both parents dead and a brother that believes he murdered them, it hasn’t been very easy. In order to go on, Jason keeps locked up in his room playing video games and inventing like his father counting down the days until the trial of the real psychopath who killed several people all in the name of research. Boston and Jason struggle daily, but it has come to their attention that witnesses for the trial are beginning to disappear and Boston and Jason may not be far behind them.
I’m not a gamer, but this book is focused around the gaming world, the detail that the author has put into this is actually quite amazing. Not being a gamer I was still able to follow the story and visually understand what I was reading. My only real problem that I have with this book is because of the cliffhanger at the end is very frustrating. The first book finished with all the loose ends cleaned up and didn’t leave you hanging with a lot of questions. I’m one that does like my stories to be solved, and if they are in a series, each book can be written with a new problem that can be added onto the previous story, but each new problem solved before the ending. It’s very frustrating that nothing was solved in this book and it ended without a real solution or conclusion. It ended with “The End” in the middle of nowhere. Very frustrating.
*I Received a Free ECopy of this Book in Exchange for an Honest Review*
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Nineteen-year old Mia Kinney has been skiing her whole life, so when she falls thirty feet from a ski lift it must be more than coincidence that she fell near the Ski Patrol’s hut. Dylan Blackburn, a member of the Ski Patrol, was first on the scene and his quick response may have just saved her life. Along with first responding skills, beautiful green eyes, and a southern drawl Mia immediately fell head over heels for him and Dylan has fallen for the beautiful blonde that fell from the skies into his heart.
Dylan has some ghosts in his closet and he’s not willing to let them out to open up to Mia, and she’s not sure that there blossoming relationship will work if he doesn’t learn to trust her. Ready to explore what their love has to offer, Mia must also let down her best friend’s brother who has seemed to fallen for her as well. When Dylan finally gets the courage to open up, his past comes rushing forward and threatens everyone he holds dear.
The books in the series can be read alone, but I have read Bailey’s and Mia’s stories. They are clean books and great for adults and teens. Mia’s ski accident is actually based off of a true story which brings the story to life. I rated this with four stars just because it seemed a little rushed with Dylan’s and Mia’s relationship and the accidents that seem to happen to the girls in these series are a little frustrating that both girls, Mia and Bailey, keep ending up getting hurt or sick and ending up in the hospital. Bad luck just seems to follow them around.
*I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
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Detective Bruce Durante is the lead homicide detective in the “Comfort Killer” case and is very determined to bring down the suspect that is killing patients that have been diagnosed as terminally ill and have gone missing only to turn up in dead in a coffin 3 weeks later. He’s surprised and very doubtful when the killer changes his motive and a young woman is killed and the killer has thought to be caught red handed after a shoot out. Determined to find the truth Bruce sets out to solve this case while trying to keep his new marriage intact.
Jason and Isaac, brothers that are home schooled by their very protective and secretive father, are content to live their life cut off from the rest of the world in their home. The boys live vicariously through a hologram machine, living out any scenario that they can dream of. Whether it be hooking up with girls in a bar, playing cards with their dead mother, or surfing in the ocean, as long as they keep their secret and not tell a soul they can continue to live this life. While Isaac lives in his little world pretending that his mother is alive, Jason gets out every morning to go for a jog and feed an injured fox. Jason is only slightly older than Isaac but he takes responsibility and is mature in all his actions. Balancing their bills and caring for his brother while his Dad keeps disappearing. Jason accidentally forms a friendship with Boston, the neighbor girl who has been secretly taking photographs of him, and Isaac is enthralled with her starts to create a character in her likeness for the hologram machine.
One fateful day brings Bruce, Jason and Boston in the same circle. Accusing Jason’s dad of being the Comfort Killer, Bruce has made himself an enemy to the boys. Seeing no other option but to disappear, Jason and Isaac take off with Boston only to be kidnapped and Bruce may be the only man willing to find the truth and learn to decipher between reality and fantasy. Someone is using the hologram as a weapon and killing others and framing the innocent to create a world where they can live forever.
I don’t read this genre very often, but I’m really glad that I chose to read this one. I finished another book and had a little time to spare before I needed to go to bed. I started reading the first page and didn’t go to bed until I finished the last page! I was hooked. The way the author changed the point of view between characters helped keep the fast pace. I was never bored and it held my full attention. You definitely need to keep your wits about you as you read because there is a lot going on and you the reader don’t know whether you have been drawn into reality or if you are now stuck in the hologram machine. Hats off to the author for writing such a fun book, with so much going on I’m sure it wasn’t easy. I will be reading the next book in the series soon.
*I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
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